Grave (5028) (taphos) means a site or receptacle for interment as a grave, tomb or sepulchre. Most NT uses of taphos are of a literal burial place but Paul's use is clearly figurative, Thayer's Lexicon noting that... their speech threatens destruction to others, it is death to someone whenever they open their mouth Taphos is used 7 times in the NAS (Matt 23:27, 29; 27:61, 64, 66; 28:1; Ro 3:13) and is translated in the NAS as grave, 5; tombs, 2 and in the KJV as sepulchre, 6; tomb, 1. Taphos is found 40 times in the Septuagint (LXX)- Ge 23:4, 20; 47:30; Jdg 8:32; 16:31; 1 Sam 10:2; 2 Sam 2:32; 3:32; 4:12; 17:23; 19:37; 21:14; 1Kgs 13:22, 30f; 2Kgs 9:28; 13:21; 21:26; 22:20; 23:6, 16, 30; 2 Chr 21:20; 24:25; 28:27; 32:33; Neh 3:16; Job 5:26; 6:10; 21:32; Ps 5:9; 14:3; 49:11; 68:6; 88:5, 11; Eccl 8:10; Jer 8:1; 20:17; Ezek 37:13; Matt 23:27, 29; 27:61, 64, 66; 28:1 Jesus used taphos in his denunciation of the Jewish religious leaders declaring... "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs (taphos) which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. (Mt 23:27) Robertson says; “Their mouth (words) is like the odor of a newly opened grave." Shedd says that ‘Some portions of Greek and Roman literature stink like a newly opened grave.” Sounds like modern day fare offered on regular and cable television, not to mention the internet! Tombs were sealed not only to show respect for the deceased, but to hide the sight and stench of the body’s decay. The full import of this picture can only be appreciated in hot climates like the middle east. Imagine the effect of the oppressive heat on decaying flesh! An ugly picture is being painted. As an unsealed tomb allows those who pass to see and smell what is inside, the unregenerate man’s open throat—that is, the foul words that come from it—reveal the decay of his heart. For example Solomon says that "The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted." (Pr 10:31, 32) "The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly." (Pr 15:2) "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." (Pr 15:28) Jesus addressing the "super religious" (but sans relationship with God) Pharisees said "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. "The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil." (Mt 12:34, 35). Warren Wiersbe calls Romans 3:13-18 "an X-ray study of the lost sinner, from head to foot." William Newell comments that here through Paul God speaks as the all-wise, holy Physician, in diagnosis: Their throat is an open sepulchre. Doctors always insist first on looking down our throats: and we all know that the throat and tongue denote the state of health. There could be nothing more horrible than what we have here: death, decay, moral stench, and that not hidden, but open! Unhidden, unashamed putridity:-thus a holy God describes the throat of every one of us by nature! As Bishop Howe says: "Emitting the noisome exhalations of a putrid heart." We must remember we are here seeing man through God's all-holy eyes." (Romans: Verse by Verse) Ray Pritchard explains that... Our speech has the smell of death about it because there is nothing but death inside us. Is this why we talk about "dirty" jokes and "gutter language?" And is it a coincidence that so many of our "dirty" words have to do with human excrement and perverted sex? Is this not a reflection of the decay inside the human heart? Why do we love "dirty" talk and double entendres? Why do children love trash talk? Because inside your heart is a rotting corpse, and the stench of it comes out of your mouth. Do you doubt that the human mouth is filled with cursing and bitterness? If so, then try this little experiment. Take a walk down the street and punch the first stranger you meet right in the nose. Then pay attention to what comes out of his mouth! (Then run for your life!)" (Read the full sermon Romans 3:9-20: The Man in the Mirror) WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING: tais glossais auton edoliousan (3PIAI): (Ro 3:4; Ps 5:9; 12:3,4; 36:3; 52:2; 57:4; Isa 59:3; Jer 9:3, 4, 5; Ezek 13:7; Mt 12:34,35; Jas 3:5, 6, 7, 8) Ps 5:9 There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself; Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue. Ps 12:3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; Ps 12:4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” Ps 36:3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. Ps 52:2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. Ps 57:4 My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. Paul is quoting verbatim from the Septuagint (LXX) of Psalm 5:9 (see above) Tongues (1100) (glossa) is a member of the body, specifically the organ of speech and taste. I am your tongue! I am an important fellow. The Bible mentions me about 215 times (Pr. 18:21; 21:23, etc.). When I speak kind, thoughtful and true words, there is happiness; when I speak mean, untrue, angry or complaining words, there is trouble. George Sweeting speaking of the power of the tongue wrote... Bernard of Clairvaux spoke, and thousands left all their earthly goods for the Second Crusade. Patrick Henry's immortal words, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" inspired a nation to fight furiously for liberty. Young William Jennings Bryan came to the 1896 Democratic National Convention simply as an alternate delegate. As he spoke to the great throng of delegates there, he lifted them out of their seats with his oratory and was acclaimed their nominee for the presidency of the United States. The tongue is powerful. One slogan used during World War II was, "a slip of the lip may sink a ship." I have a picture of a South Pacific battle scene in which Marines are storming a beachhead. They are dropping everywhere. One Marine is wounded and bleeding. The picture bears a two-word title: Somebody Talked. It may be that the tongue has slain more than have all the bullets and bombs of battle. The book of Proverbs tells us that "A soft tongue breaketh the bone" (Pr 25:15b). And again we read, "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life" (Pr 13:3). Edward Everett Hale in his story "The Man Without a Country" tells of the young naval officer, Philip Nolan, who with some others was on trial for being false to the service. As the court session dragged on and the trial came to a close, Nolan was asked if he wished to say anything to show that he had always been faithful to the United States. In a fit of temper he cursed and said, "I wish that I may never hear of the United States again!" The judge and the jury were shocked! In fifteen minutes they issued the verdict: "The Court decides, subject to the approval of the President, that you shall never hear the name of the United States again." Nolan laughed, but no one else laughed, and he became the man without a country. (Sweeting, G. Great Quotes & Illustrations) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/romans_312-13.htm#Grave